Around Here: Week 40 2021

 {September 26- October 2nd}

Experiencing... some anxiety this week, but feeling an improvement over last week, which is a tremendous blessing.  Josh took the kids to the land with him Sunday, and it was so nice to have a quiet day to myself after my brain being so exhausting.
I also was able to see my sleep doctor this week (my CPAP machine had a recall that has been freaking me out for weeks now) and he was able to put my mind at ease. It's so nice to sleep easy now, knowing that the recall won't effect me. 

Cleaning... up and catching up, on life in general.  We cleaned the house, per usual, on Sunday and then watching football as a fam once our chores were done.  And during the week I made phone calls and crossed things off my to do list which felt really good.

Starting... my new pill (Lexapro) as I got my Rx filled and am hopeful it will be the answer I'm looking for. The nice thing about taking Lexapro after Prozac is that they are in the same family, so I don't have to wean down on one and then up on the other. I can just swich.  Tuesday I took Prozac for the last time, and Wednesday I took Lexapro.  Such a smooth transition. 

Comforting... Carly as she was freaking out about fires and dying at bedtime. She had a fire drill a few weeks back at school (her first) and she was not a fan. It really got her little brain thinking about fire, and now she is terrified she's going to die in a fire and lose all her favorite belongings.  It's so sad, and I am so tired.  We are not getting much sleep around here.

Writing... The End of an Era during Mine To Tell this week and feeling proud of myself for setting a goal (to write about the transition from SAHM with kids at home to SAHM with kids at school) and following that goal through. It was hard to write.  A lot of those feelings are still pretty raw... but I did it, and I'm so glad I did. 

Doing... picture day which mean money for each kiddo, plus choosing clothes and doing hair and all the things.  It's funny to me I even bother because by the time they get their pics taken, they're usually quite disheveled and it is what it is. But I can't help myself. 

Attending... Jack's first football game with our kids and my parents.  It was super fun and I felt so proud of him out on that field. While we were at the game, there were some kids Carly was playing with on the bleachers behind us.  As they played, one boy said to her, "I could hit you in the face with this," holding up a doctor toy.  Carly, hands on hips, not in the least intimidated, said to him, "Do it." He stared at her, frozen and shocked, and then walked away.  Haha! That girl has three older brothers, kid. Not much phases her!

Cooking... chili in our new air fryer/crockpot and making homemade cornbread as well.  We pulled all the last things out out of our garden, an onion, some tomatoes and zucchini. Carly and Jack helped me cut up apples that Josh got from a student, and we put them in the freezer in baggies to make apple cake with later in the year. 
Jack is also cooking, as he has Culinary this quarter. He loves being in the kitchen, and I love the skills (like cleaning as you go) that he is learning there.  

Sending... Wyatt off to his first day of our district's Excel Program. He is so smart and curious, I am really excited to see how he likes the program. It's supposed to be very hands on and include STEM and lots of cool projects.  He's excited and so am I. 

Watching... Downton Abbey at my mom's suggestion and instantly falling in love with the family. I am hooked.

Reading... Anne of the Island, which was a slow read, but also a gentle read, which is what I needed to get back into reading a few weeks ago.  I've been turning to it when my brain feels too full to read anything else. I was excited to finish it and will be starting Anne of Windy Poplars next. 
It's also my turn to do readaloud with the boys (Josh will put Carly to bed while we read our book, then we switch) and I am reading Pax by Sara Pennypacker.  It really tugs at your heartstrings and will make you want a pet fox.  hah!

Enjoying... having Logan and Jack's best friends (identical twins themselves) Easton and Channing over after school this week.  They are so kind to Carly (they even play games with her) and are so funny, and those four boys always have a good time together. So thankful for them. Also grateful that I have kids I can trust as these TikTok challenges are destroying our local schools.  Some crazy things have been stolen and I feel so bad for the teachers and administrators having to deal with it. 
I am also enjoying my dahlia blooms.  I know the end is coming, so I am cutting and bringing in as many as I can!

Arm wrestling... randomly after dinner one night and beating each of my children. They were so impressed and I felt so proud. There is very little that I currently do that impresses them, so I am always pleased when something does. 

Walking... the dog and enjoying that crisp fall sunshine and all the beautiful trees and flowers I see on my walks.  

Driving... Carly & Wyatt through the carwash and loving how much they enjoy it. I spend a lot of time in my car each day- dropping off the twins at school; dropping off the littles at school; picking up the twins from school; picking up the littles from school; and picking Jack up from practice everyday.  It's a lot.  So it's important to me that the car be clean and organized. So Josh got me a carwash pass so I can go as much as I want to each month.  

Crying... to Josh one evening as I lamented how fast time is going and how our babies are growing up right before our eyes.  He was so sweet about it, and I felt better after a good cry about it. Gosh parenting is hard on the heart. 

Celebrating... my nephew Milo's birthday in Wenatchee (which will be a post all its own) and then getting to visit my parents afterward and meet their new puppy! Their original pomski (pomeranian/husky) Juno passed away after giving birth to her second litter and contracting Parvo.  My parents (and the breeder) were devestated, but there was a silver lining.  My parents got to bring home one of Juno's puppies, whom they named Bruno, and he is a delight. 
The kids enjoyed skateboarding, hoverboarding and riding my parents' electric bikes. They're the best grandparents.  

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A few inspiring, thought provoking things:

"You are not lazy, unmotivated or stuck.

After years of living your life in survival mode,

you are exhausted.

There is a difference."

-Nakeia Homer

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